Few social gatherings are quite as disastrous as the one in Sally Potter’s The Party, which degenerates into acrimony as secrets emerge that put everyone at odds. Hostess Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a British politician who has just been appointed Minister of Health, while her husband Bill (Timothy Spall) is suspiciously morose, and seems about to collapse. The first guests to arrive are April (Patricia Clarkson), Janet’s cynical best friend, and her docile boyfriend Gottfried (Bruno Ganz), a life coach. Next are lesbian couple Martha (Cherry Jones), a professor of gender studies, and her younger partner Jinny (Emily Mortimer), who is pregnant. Last to arrive is Tom (Cillian Murphy), a rich financier whose overwrought behavior is only heightened by a few snorts of cocaine. Tom explains that his actress wife has been delayed and after that the mood deteriorates quickly. The first revelation involves a bad medical diagnosis, which is followed shortly by multiple admissions of present infidelity and past indiscretions. And a gun is added to the mix, with all of its Chekhovian connotations. Potter’s main targets here are smug bourgeois values, liberal platitudes, and sheer faddishness, and while none of the observations are truly penetrating, the witty verbal volleys carry plenty of comic punch, delivered by a cast that savors every syllable. So, while The Party boasts more bite than depth, there is still much to enjoy. Recommended [Note: DVD extras include the behind-the-scenes featurette “A Real House: Making of a Film Set” (19 min.), and a photo gallery segment (3 min.). Bottom line: a decent extras package for an engaging film.] (F. Swietek)
The Party
Lionsgate, 71 min., R, DVD: $19.99, May 22 Volume 33, Issue 4
The Party
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